Smartphones have entered the realm of robots.
Chinese brand Honor used the opening red carpet of the Shanghai International Film Festival to debut its robot phone. A robot phone is a device that combines AI and a high-resolution camera that extends from the phone’s body like an antenna, moves independently, and stows away when not in use.
This phone served as the festival’s official imaging partner. Ellemen, the official fashion and lifestyle partner magazine of Shanghai IFF, used the magazine to shoot a series of short films featuring the 21 Golden Cup jurors, led by Tony Leung Chiu-wai. Also featured were the red carpet, opening night banquet, and behind-the-scenes looks during the event.
The robot phone represents Honor’s first collaboration with global cinematic camera technology company Arri. Its features include full-angle AI video calling that tracks the user through robot motion control, as well as a 3-axis gimbal stabilization system built for smooth capture in dynamic environments.
“Today, consumer smartphones are already a critical tool in professional film production, used in blockbusters around the world. That’s why we believe the time is right to bring these worlds even closer together,” said David Baumbach, Managing Director of Arri.
Honor announced at Cannes in May that the phone would be generally available in the third quarter. The company, a sub-brand of Huawei, is pushing AI-powered hardware across various categories. In April, the company’s humanoid robot Lightning completed the Beijing E-Town Half Marathon in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, breaking the human world record of 57 minutes and 20 seconds set by Jacob Kiplimo in Lisbon in March.
